The presidential candidate of the Social Democratic Party (SDP), Donald Duke, has warned that Nigeria will be in further trouble if Nigerians make the wrong choice in the February 16 presidential election.
While speaking during an interview on Channels Television’s Sunrise Daily on Friday, January 25, 2019, Duke said the country will be at risk if Nigerians don’t get it right at the polls.
The former Cross River State governor said he has the answers to set the country on the path to progress if elected president.
He said, “I see a nation in dire straits that seems to be quivering and not knowing what to do with itself and I think I have the answers to make it right and that’s really why I’m going for it.
“I know that if we don’t get it right, all of us are at risk. We’re all endangered species one way or the other. The poverty that prevails our nation, the insecurities which are a symptom of the poverty; someone has to step forward and do it. We can’t sit back and hope that it will happen.”
The candidate also disclosed that if elected president, four of the things he’ll focus on are skills, health, infrastructure and technology.
Court ruling puts Duke back in presidential race
The Friday interview comes just a day after the Court of Appeal in Abuja ruled in his favour as the authentic presidential candidate of the SDP.
Despite winning the party’s ticket in October 2018, an FCT High Court in Maitama had declared his victory null and void and announced second-placed Jerry Gana as the SDP candidate in a December 2018 ruling.
The court had ruled in Gana’s favour due to regulations contained in the party’s constitution that its national chairman, currently Olu Falae, and presidential candidate cannot be from the same region, with a zoning policy that balances both positions between the northern and southern parts of the country.
However, in a unanimous decision announced on Thursday, January 24, the Appeal Court ruled in Duke’s favour.
The three-member panel ruled that the zoning section of the party’s constitution contravenes the Electoral Acts stipulation for the validity of a candidate in any election. The panel also noted that the particular section 18 of the party’s amended constitution regarding zoning did not take effect until October 8, 2018, two days after Duke had beaten Gana in the party’s primary election.
On Friday, Duke extended a hand of partnership to Gana and urged for unity in the party to campaign for the election.
The February 16 presidential election is expected to be a keen contest between President Muhammadu Buhari of the All Progressives Congress (APC) and Atiku Abubakar of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
Alongside Duke in the chasing pack are Kingsley Moghalu of the Young Progressive Party (YPP), Fela Durotoye of the Alliance for New Nigeria (ANN), and Omoyele Sowore of the African Action Congress (AAC).
Others are Tope Fasua of the Abundance Nigeria Renewal Party (ANRP), Eunice Atuejide of the National Interest Party (NIP), Adesina Fagbenro-Byron of the Kowa Party (KP), Chike Ukaegbu of the Advanced Allied Party (AAP), Hamza Al-Mustapha of the People’s Party of Nigeria (PPN), Obadiah Mailafia of the African Democratic Congress (ADC),Gbenga Olawepo-Hashim of Peoples Trust (PT) and many more.
